


Model

by tenuous_pteradatyl



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Drabble Collection, Implied Slash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 21:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2083071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenuous_pteradatyl/pseuds/tenuous_pteradatyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three unrelated drabbles where Lieu uses Amon as a sort of artist model.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Model

**Author's Note:**

> This is a small collection of older pieces.I think they still need some editing. I've had the head cannon that the Lieutenant is older than Amon, as well as a bit of an artist in his spare time.

Amon had learned early on that each member of the Equalists harbored a secret talent. Lee could cook, Zin-Wei was well versed with the Tsungi horn, and as for his lieutenant, well he was a talented artist. He had first discovered Lieu’s talents early on, they had been traveling to see a client of Lieu’s parents in the next town over, and had stopped at a small tea shop for a respite when he noticed the younger boy scribbling on his napkin absentmindedly, pen working furiously on the off white paper. He leaned over slightly to get a better look, Lieu was drawing the older man sitting in the far off corner behind them, it was a fair likeness his nose was a bit longer, and his face a might more wrinkled in reality but his essence was there on the paper rendered in black ink, and sweeping line-work. Lieu hadn’t noticed him eyeing it he was engrossed in his drawing, his eyes focused intently on straightening out the problem of the odd way he had his head tilted. “You’re very good” he said finally, and Lieu looked up as if he were startled, his ears turned red for a moment as he gazed down at his handiwork with a bit of a frown.  
"No" he said simply putting the pen down at last and holding the napkin up "Not really. I’m just messin’ around" he explained and made a gesture to crumple it. Amon stopped him "Don’t" he said taking the napkin from him "I like what you’ve done here. Whether you realize it or not you’re very talented".

Lieu shook his head “I guess but I could be a lot better” he said somewhat bitterly. “You can always get better” Amon said stashing the drawing in the pocket of his pants as Lieu looked away for a moment, and sighed twirling the pen between long fingers. “Yeah, but when? between this stuff and tending the garden back at home I’ve got no time for it”.

"Then you make time" Amon said firmly "If it’s something you are interested in you should take every free moment to hone your skills". Lieu laughed for a moment, a low and almost melodious sound "You make it sound so easy" he said his lips curling up into a warm smile "But you’re right, as usual" he said lightly punching the older boy on the arm. Amon smiled back at him, Lieu seemed to be full of surprises, and this one seemed especially intriguing.

"How long have you been doing this?" he asked as Lieu seemed to be eyeing another napkin so he could continue his drawings "I don’t know" he answered as he continued to twirl his pen "I just started one day, and realized I liked it, and the rest is history" he said shrugging his shoulders. "It’s impressive" Amon said "I wish I could do something like that" he said almost wistfully, he wasn’t capable of doing anything creative all he seemed able to do was to hurt, and destroy whereas Lieu was a creator of sorts, an inventor,a healer, it made his heart burn with a kind of detached jealousy, he wished he were blessed with such gifts.

Lieu saw his look of trepidation and clapped him on the shoulder so hard he was sure his clavicle had been broken in the process “Come on let’s go, we can’t sit around here all day”, and with that they had gone off to tend to their business. After that day Amon had all but forgotten about Lieu’s gift, time had gone by, they had parted, grown older, reunited, and created something that would prove to be bigger than the both of them. It was in those early days when it was seemingly just the two of them against the world, and they were planning things right out of their tiny apartment with the exposed wires in the ceiling, and the battered and borrowed furniture, that he remembered it again. It was late, and after their third cup of tea they were still thinking of something that would grab people’s attention, get them to join the revolution when Lieu suggested a poster.

"It’s a good idea" Amon admitted "But what will it be depicting?" he asked as Lieu dashed over to the drawer by the sink, and began tossing things out, obviously looking for something that was well hidden. "You. Who else?" he said as he continued his search "You’re basically the face of this whole thing, what better image to go with than the icon of the entire revolution?" he said as he finally found what he was looking for, he delicately pulled out a small sketchpad, obviously well worn with continued use. Lieu came back with a look of satisfaction on his face as he sat in front of Amon and flipped to an empty page "Lieu what are you planning to do?" he asked although he was already certain of the answer. 

_________

He sat there immobile save for his fingers drumming his thigh in quick succession to a tune he heard on the radio, it was his desperate attempt to try to take his mind off of Lieu’s quiet scrutiny. From behind his mask of porcelain he watched the artist with interest his hands steadily gliding across the paper of his sketchbook as he gazed at Amon with hooded eyes. Amon watched him transfixed, only Lieu’s gaze could freeze him like this, make his muscles seize up, render him truly speechless. He stayed that way for some time just watching him work, observed the way he had worked himself into an almost lulling and hypnotic pace, his breathing slow and quiet, his eyebrows furrowed, lower lip worried with his teeth.

He took it all in, and in those moments he quietly observed Lieu, and ran his eyes over every angle and curve of his face as if to memorize it, checking for anything he may have missed over the years. He saw a few more lines on the younger man’s face, worry lines, a scar on his forehead from when they had first moved in and a piece of plaster had dislodged itself from the ceiling and hit him, and Amon had almost been about to yell himself hoarse complaining to the landlord about it until Lieu had laughed it off and pulled him away. His eyes traveled to his shoulders, broad yet rounded at the moment, as he hunched over his pad sketching away madly, his mother had always made sure his posture was perfect he had confided to him one day. His eyes roamed to his chest moving slowly, up and down at a steady pace. Amon dare not let his eyes travel any further though because he couldn’t risk the chance that unscrupulous thoughts might arrive, not at the moment anyway.

He was saved from idle thoughts just then as Lieu set his pencil aside and called him over to look at his work, he got up unsteadily not realizing how long his legs had been frozen in that position until now. Lieu had his book clutched to his chest “Now remember this is just a rough sketch so it’s not going to be perfect I can always go over it again later when I-“

"Just show it to me Lieu", Amon said quietly cutting him off as he gently pried his fingers back from the binding of the sketchbook and took it from him. He stood there rooted to the spot, his mouth almost slack behind his mask as he gazed at Lieu’s handiwork. "Rough sketch?" he thought in dismay, this was a masterpiece. Lieu was once again his own worst critic, the sketch of Amon he had rendered out in charcoal pencil was a tiny jewel in that meager leather sketchbook. True, he was only capturing a mask, and not a true living portrait of the man beneath but he had captured Amon right down to the piercing blue eyes, and the haunting stare.

Lieu looked at him, his eyes intent on his partner, waiting for an answer as he bit his lip again in anticipation. “So? What do you think? You like it?” he asked finally when a few more minutes had gone by, Amon turned to him then, smiling behind the mask as he gave the drawing back to Lieu.

"I like it very much Lieu" he said "You give yourself too little credit, it’s truly beautiful. It will make an excellent poster". Lieu seemed to swell with pride he beamed at his partner as he rubbed the back of his head as a sort of sign of humility "It’s nothing really" he said is eyes downcast. "You’re far too humble" Amon said cupping his cheek tenderly and kissing him quickly before taking his seat back at the table.

____________

Amon turned the book over in his hands. He had been searching for his keys when he found it in one of the kitchen drawers stealthily hidden under a small pile of receipts and unopened mail. It was obviously Lieu’s, he couldn’t remember ever purchasing a scarlet leather notebook, and it had all the signs that it had been in Lieu’s care until recently, it was well worn with use, close to falling apart, and had stains of coffee and oil on the front, the man was hard on things whether he meant to be or not.

Amon took another look at it before opening it, he deduced that it was most likely a ledger of sorts, or perhaps a place where he recorded the events of the day. But as he turned to the first page he realized he was wrong, there rendered in dark lines of pencil and ink was a drawing of him, standing immobile on the page, his arms folded behind his back as if he were about to address a crowd. He was shocked at the level of detail with which Lieu had drawn him, and even more shocked that Lieu could still draw so well after all this time of seemingly little to no practice.

But obviously the man had been making time, the next page was more of the same, it wasn't until the 12th page that Amon saw a change, the subject was still Amon but this time at much more unguarded moments, he saw himself without his mask the fake scars running over his face, his eyes thoughtful, a quiet smile adorning his lips. There were small studies of his hands, long and calloused from years of use in the snow. There were drawings of him as he slept, his face tranquil, there were even a good number of drawings of his naked body, all lean muscle and sharp angles. Lieu even had a drawing of him below the waist, and a few drawings that he was sure had to be from memory. Amon felt his a face heat up a bit at those he never imaged that Lieu was drawing him so obsessively, and with such loving care, it made him feel a sort of strange swell of happiness in his heart. Lieu walked in as he continued to look over the sketches with interest, it was only when Lieu began to try to hurriedly explain himself and made feeble attempts to snatch the book away that Amon realized he had come in the room. He chuckled as he held the book away from Lieu, his free hand stilling the man by the shoulder “If you wanted me to model for you, all you had to do was ask” he said slyly as Lieu’s face turned perhaps a deeper shade of red.


End file.
